Emma Rose Company #Squad Photoshoot
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on hiring an assistant and how I went about finding mine! You can read that post right here. This was one of the hardest yet EASIEST decisions I’ve ever made for my creative business! It’s always evolving and we’re learning new things every day about our systems but it truly has been a blessing in my life and business. It also helps that mine is freaking AWESOME! Seriously, I hoped that I’d find someone I really like, but I didn’t know when hiring Dean that I’d also find a really great friend, too. When we’re working, we’re working. When we’re playing, we’re playing! She and her Husband live in an RV full time so they’ve been all over the country and happen to be in the PNW right now through the winter.
So we’ve been spending a lot of time together and I wanted to plan a #SQUAD photo shoot while she’s here!
I rented a gorgeous downtown Seattle studio for an afternoon, found a fellow photographer friend to swap cards with me (I took his head shots!) and it was the most perfect day. Yeah, driving up to the city makes for a long day but it was completely worth it once you scroll through the images! There are about 500 more where this comes from, haha! When I think of my own future studio, it’s basically THIS. White, a little more white, and white. The entire space is one big reflection but I love the industrial vibe with the exposed pipes and windows. I’m also inspired to have a table just like this one, too!
I got to finally meet Miguel Cornelio, a photographer out of Seattle and he was AMAZING! We’ve been e-friends for a few years now and it was honestly the most amazing afternoon getting to know him better! I also took his head shots and I’m obsessed with the results! Getting men in front of my camera is fun and pushes me creatively because I just don’t photograph many but each time I do, I’m always thrilled with the results!
I wanted to use this post as an opportunity to share 5 things I learned about planning a #SQUAD photo shoot!
Find a space that is YOUR brand! I looked at several studios and opted to make the further trip to Seattle because I knew this space would be perfect. I shot in here a few years ago and remember how much I loved it so I made it work to get all the way up there to bring my vision to life!
I know this isn’t industry “standard”, BUT, I found a fellow photographer who was willing to swap SD cards with me for this shoot. I do not give RAW files to clients for oh so many reasons, but for something like this, it worked out perfectly!
Have a plan! I had a shot list I wanted via a Pinterest board I created in advance. It’s easy to forget things you WANT to do when you’re in the moment, so having visuals always helps me stay on track and focused during any shoot. I focused on the future and content I’ll need for various launches I have in the works or other shots that will come in handy when needed. The more organized you can be in advance, the smoother the shoot will go and it goes by really quickly! I also packed a bunch of different outfits so that I could quickly change in and out of things to mix up my look.
Don’t rush it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed… take a break. We packed lots of snacks and had coffee to simply chill out in between scenes. It’s okay to pause and reset because these fast-paced, gotta-get-it-done kind of shoots can be a little bit overwhelming and stressful but I promise… if you allow yourself to slow down, you’ll have better end results.
Have props! I had a ridiculous amount of items and many I did not end up using, but I knew the space and knew that this blank canvas would need to be personalized to make it my own. I had a large bin full of things like dishes, my microphone, laptop, iPad, mugs, pillows and blankets, etc. I was definitely over prepared BUT because I had all my options there, it was easier to get in my creative zone. We laid everything out on the floor and used it as a grab bag.
BONUS: Communicate! Don’t be afraid to use your voice to get what you need done. For this shoot, we had a window of time to get everything I wanted and I wasn’t afraid to be direct in my wishes. I wasn’t bossy, or mean, haha! I simply mean I was direct, forward, and knew what I needed so I wasn’t afraid to ask for it. An example of this was shooting horizontally and vertically. Photographers tend to have a favorite way to shoot and I noticed Miguel shooting a lot of horizontal images so right out of the gate I asked him to please also shoot plenty of vertical, and he did! I’m BEYOND amazed by what he captured for me and couldn’t have asked for a better person for the job. Seriously, he’s the best and SO nice. So always be kind but don’t be afraid to ask for the exact things you need!
Alright, now you can enjoy the images! Thanks for reading and I hope you find this helpful and inspiring to plan your own team photo shoot or individual head shots!
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want my hiring guide? grab it below my friend!
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